Final Distance
by ASHERBOB
Summary: Seiryuu no miko has contracted a terminal illness. What's to happen now?


My first angst! Oh my God! What's wrong with me?! I don't write angst!!! (Korin: To terminal illnesses!! Huzzah!!) Well... I guess this says something about that... 

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Don't you people get that? 

**Final Distance**

    As the spirit hovered over the girl's sleeping form he took in a deep breath. He looked over her sadly. This was the girl he had loved, and he had just received this news.     She was not aware of it yet, but her body had contracted a terminal disease. She soon would experience the traumatic effects of this illness.     This spirit was sent to watch over her during this time. 

    "Ah!" slipped out of Hongo Yui's mouth as she grasped onto a chair for support. For some reason, her legs had just given out.     "Yui-sama," called out the blonde general. "Are you all right?" He helped her into the chair which she had such a firm grip upon.     Between gasps, she replied, "I think so..."     "Good," Nakago called. "Will you be fine here?"     "Actually," the girl started. "I was on my way to my chamber"     "Of course, Your Eminence," he held a hand out to her, and as she took it he lifted her up. She started to walk, and doing so, she turned to him saying,     "I'm alright now."     The general nodded, "Yes, Yui-sama. I'd like to see to it that you get to your chamber safely."     Yui made it to her room presently, but once she got inside, she collapsed onto the bed which was set up for her.     Nakago, without a second thought about her condition, closed the door behind her. 

    The ghost appeared in the room for the fifth time that week. Each time he visited his love she looked worse.     He floated over to her prone body, and he rubbed his fingers across her cheek. "Yui-sama…" he whispered. "I'm so sorry that I can't do anything for you." He watched the girl sleep, peacefully, and he reflected.     He had previously sworn to himself that to make up for all the evil that he had caused in his life, that he would do some good in death. He felt guilty that he could do nothing to spare the one that he loved.     As he sensed the girl beginning to reawaken, he knew that it was his time to leave. As he took a last look t his love, he dispersed into thin air. 

    Yui looked around drearily as she woke up. She thought that someone was in the room. As she looked around, her view disproved that thought.     She recalled going through the halls of the palace with Nakago following her. She recalled walking into her chamber, but she didn't remember getting into her bed or falling asleep.     As she sat in the silence, she listened to he breathing. It was steady, which was good compared to the gasping she remembered from previous hours.     She wondered what time it was; what day it was. Time passed so differently in this world. How long had she been in the book? How much longer would she be there?     She was the Seiryuu no miko. She had to stop the war in Kutou. She had to summon the god, but first she had to gather all of the Seiryuu Seishi. Seishi were dead. How was she supposed to summon the god? She remembered the Shinzaho. She had to retrieve the Shinzaho. Then she could stop the war. That was her purpose.     Tomo was the first to go. His death was followed by Suboshi's and then Ashitare's. Amiboshi was no longer, either. He now lived in a farming community, and lived on as Kaika. All who were left were Nakago, Soi, and Miboshi.     It had been almost a month since Suboshi had died. It had been an agony for her as she felt the loss, yet she kept the remorse inside.     She didn't know him very well, but she remembered his fondness for her. As she sat in her room, she drew her knees up to her chin. 

    As the week proceeded on, Yui's condition worsened. She was almost perpetually fatigued, even after waking up. She would normally keep to herself, but when she came out she would look pale and almost gaunt.     Nakago noticed this, and one night he had a doctor come into her chamber. Not bothering to knock, Nakago opened the door, and saw the sight he had expected to. Yui was lying on her bed, and she was lightly napping.     "Yui-sama…" Nakago's deep voice interrupted her dreaming.     She stirred a bit, and eventually turned over to face him. "Yes?" she yawned.     "I've noticed that you've not been well recently," Nakago started. "I have brought a doctor to see you."     The girl shook her head softly, "No, thank you… I'm fine. I don't need a doctor." As she tried to get up, she fell helplessly back onto the bed.     "Your eminence, let the doctor look at you," Nakago said in a low voice.     Having little energy to argue, Yui gave in and let herself be examined by the doctor. By the expressions, she could tell that her condition distressed the doctor a bit, yet she said nothing.     The doctor nodded a final time, and he motioned for Nakago to follow him out side of the room.     As he did, and closed the door, the doctor cleared his throat.     "Nakago-san, I have not see this before," he began. "I have seen some patients with illnesses similar to this, but…"     "But?" Nakago urged the doctor to go on.     Behind the door, Yui crawled from her bed to the wall. Since she had to be examined, she wanted to know what was going to be said of her.     The doctor nervously cleared his throat again. "No patients have survived beyond a few months."     Nakago's eyes widened.     Yui gasped.     "You'll do something? We can't let anything happen to her now. She is the Seiryuu no miko." Nakago tried to reason with doctor.     "As sincerely as I wish that I could do something, there is nothing that I know of to do." The doctor replied. As he was dismissed, he turned back around saying, "I'm sorry."     Nakago leaned onto the wall for a moment, toying with the idea of telling the younger girl. He decided against it, and on his way of leaving, he would just check on Yui again.     He was surprised to see her curled up against the wall. He head whipped up violently as she heard the door open.     She looked up at Nakago with wide eyes. He just stared back at her eyes, his hand still resting on the door handle.     The fear in her eyes was overwhelming, as she slowly got up and leaned into the tall general. "Nakago-san! Nakago-san!!" she cried, choking back sobs. "Let me go back to my world! They can help! Please!! You have to!!"     She was crying now and Nakago felt a pang of guilt as he felt that he had to refuse her of her wish.     "I'm sorry, your eminence," he said. "The war is too close. We need the Shinzaho."     The girl sobbed as she fell back to the floor. Nakago felt that it was in his best interest that he had left for the moment. 

    As she sat alone, she continued to sob.     The spirit entered her room again, and he watched her cry. Her pain distressed him, and he wished to comfort her like she had done to him. Yet, in being a spirit, he lacked that ability.     Even so, he still reached forward, as a reaction. And as he did so, she looked up suddenly. She stared blindly around her.     The boy pulled back quickly, "Yui-sama?" he asked.     She continued to stare, turning her head every so often. "Is someone here?"     He floated back a bit and stared at Yui. 'Can she… does she know that I'm here?'     "Nakago-san?" she whispered. "Is someone here?" As no one answered her, she put her head back on her arms and continued to cry.     The spirit was shocked. His eyes were wide, and he just left quickly. 

    From that time on, Yui wouldn't speak to anyone. And the spirit of the young boy rarely returned. The girl locked herself into solitude, and avoided about everyone she could.     Quickly, her health deteriorated, but she was determined to summon the god, on which the fate of the Kutou country depended on.     The remnants of her seishi were diminishing as well. Miboshi and Soi were gone, and now all who were left was Nakago.     The Shinzaho was almost theirs.     'Miaka and her seishi are on that same quest.' She thought. 'I wonder how she is faring…' 

    Meanwhile, the spirit of the Seiryuu shichiseishi, Suboshi, remained in the afterlife and was miserable. He was supposed to be watching over Yui. It was so hard for him to see her in the morbid state that she was in. What made thins worse for him was that he was helpless to her.     As he sulked on that particular day, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the most recently arrived seishi, Soi.     "Go to her," she said.     "B-but… I can't. I'm scared, Soi-san," Suboshi replied.     Soi shook her head, "She needs someone."     Suboshi was confused. He was dead, Yui wouldn't be able to see him. As he opened his mouth to protest, Soi shushed him, and just told him to see her again.     Deciding that there couldn't be any true harm to the action, he took Soi's advice.     When he appeared in her room, he couldn't believe his eyes. His love's appearance had changed so much since he'd last seen her. Her normally vibrant blonde hair was dull, and her bangs hung limply over her eyes. He skin was pale, and the bones in her face jutted out. Her arms and legs were bruised, and abnormally thin.     "Yui-sama," he breathed, shocked at how emaciated she looked.     Her eyes flew open. She couldn't believe her eyes. She stared straight at Suboshi. 

    He stared right back. He made notice that her eyes still held the same spirit that they had before she was sick. 

    "Suboshi?" she whispered, this being the first word she'd said to anyone in weeks. 

    The spirit looked around him. "Me?" he asked, pointing to himself. 

    "Suboshi?" she asked, again. She was trying to lift herself up to see better. "How? It is you… but, you're dead…" 

    Suboshi nodded, still in shock that he could be seen. Although, it was obvious that she couldn't see him very well. "Hai, Yui-sama."     He moved closer to her, and eventually sat on her bed. 

    Yui still stared at him wide-eyed. She took in a deep breath before speaking again, "I'm dying…" she said. "I can't die. I'm Seiryuu no miko." 

    Suboshi tried to silence her, but she continued to speak. 

    "I've got to summon Seiryuu. I have to make my wish…" after a while, she cried. 

    This time, Suboshi didn't draw back. He reached for her and encased her in a hug, as she had done for him previously. He had to wrap his arms around her loosely, for any tighter, and his arms may have gone right through her. 

    Yui gasped for a moment as she felt Suboshi's arms around her.     "Yui-sama…" he said, "You have done what you can. You need not stress yourself over this."     Yui sobbed quietly into Suboshi for a while longer. 

    As he sensed Nakago coming, he knew that it was then that he had to go.     He said goodbye to Yui, and that he would see her again soon.     She was about to protest, but before she could, he was gone. 

    Nakago opened the door slowly, and he stopped as he saw Yui sitting up. Momentarily, he regained his composure.     "Yui-sama we are ready for the summoning. Please get ready for the cleansing. I will have some maidens come by presently." The general spoke in his normal monotone.     "You've retrieved the Shinzaho?" she asked.     "Yes. I've also gotten your friend, the Priestess of Suzaku. She is locked up in the dungeon. From her, I've received both." Nakago explained.     The young priestess wanted to ask further questions, but it was then that the maidens arrived to accompany her to the baths. 

    On this walk, Yui realised how much lighter she had become. Although, she was lighter, it wasn't easier for her to walk. Her muscles had weakened greatly, and it was actually harder for her to move.     Once at the baths, she shed the gown that she'd been wearing, and climbed into the water.     She winced at it's temperature at first and then just sat in it's depths. She looked at her frail body. She was ashamed of the bruises that stained her body. She was embarrassed at how thin and bony she looked. She was mortified for letting this happen to herself.     She put her head under the water for a moment. She'd made it. She had made it to the summoning. That was the most important thing.     Now she had to concentrate on her wishes. Number one, to seal off Suzaku, forever. Number two… she had promised Nakago a wish. The second wish would be his. One more wish to go.     She couldn't think of anything that she wanted for herself. She splashed some water onto her face, and began to rub her hands in a circular motion.     Finally, as she was fully cleansed, the maidens called out to her, and offered her some towels. As she took them, she was led out of that room, and into another.     There, she saw an outfit lain out before. She assumed that this was the outfit that she'd be waring for the summoning. The maidens gave it to her, and instructed her to put it on.     As she stepped back into the room, dressed in the summoning outfits, the maids noticed what she had when she put it on. It was too big.     "We are very sorry Miko-sama!" one of the maids apologised.     "Yes," the other stepped forward. Bowing, she continued, "This was sized before…" she stopped, as not to offend or upset the priestess.     "We can fix it!" said the first maiden. "I will be right back!" And with that she rushed off.     While she was waiting, Yui walked over to a chair and sat down in it. She sighed deeply, and rested her head in between her hands with her eyes closed. 

    As she said, the maiden returned quickly. There was another woman with her.     "Here is a woman to fix the outfit," she announced proudly.     The woman nodded quietly as she eyed the outfit and its awkward fitting. She also made not of her allotted time. Quickly, she made a few adjustments, and made the finishing touches by tying the bows tighter. Finally, Yui was ready for the summoning of Seiryuu. 

    As she walked up to the roof on which she'd be performing the ritual, she saw only Nakago standing there. Both Shinzahos were there and she glanced around taking in her surrounding.     As she finished reading the scroll's incantation lightning cackled. As the sky lit up, Yui opened her eyes. Instead of looking up to see the giant dragon in the sky, she looked forward. Something had caught her eyes. There, in front of her stood the spirits of her lost seishi. Ashitare, Tomo, Soi, Miboshi, and Suboshi. Among them, stood the spirit of the fifteen year-old boy, looking at her and smiling all the while.     Her eyes landed on each of them, and settled on the last seishi. Just as her gaze met his, it was torn away by the spirit of Seiryuu entering her frail body.     As she glowed blue, she knew the first wish that had to be made.     "Kaijin!" she cried out. "Seal away Suzaku forever!"     As a bright light shimmered in the sky symbolizing that the task had been down, Yui stumbled to the ground. The whole time, she looked at Suboshi. As she gasped for breath, she knew that her time was wearing thin.     She wracked her brain for a final wish. Seeing Suboshi again, as Nakago helped her up reminded her of the one thing she had thought as her mission.     "This takes energy. You should rest for a while until you make your next wish." Nakago said, guiding her off the roof.     She shook her head, and halfway through his words, she again cried out "Kaijin!"     Across the roof, the spirits' eyes were wide in surprise. They had no idea what the girl was doing.     Her aura grew around her, and the blue symbol shown on her forehead. She winced at the enormous pressure that this was putting on her.     Nakago whipped around quickly in disbelief. He couldn't imagine what she was doing.     "I wish for peace everlasting between the countries in this world!!" she called out. The dragon flew out of her body, which fell limply to the ground.     The spirits of Tomo, Ashitare, Soi, and Miboshi flew over to the body. Suboshi's spirit stood still, in shock.     The sky flashed a bright blue, then red, then green, then a vibrant white.     The spirit of Suboshi stood, frozen in place. His eyes were wide, his mouth agape, and all he could do was think. "Yui-sama… She didn't have to… no, she used it all for our wish. Aniki…"     Yui's body still had a faint glow to it, and that's when Suboshi came over. "Yui-sama?"     Soi shook her head, "She's already gone. We'll see her again soon."     Suboshi nodded, and the five of them disappeared into the air.     Nakago, all alone scoffed and sneered. He kicked Yui's body, and as he was about to ki blast her, Seiryuu's force encased her body from the blow. In misery, Nakago walked off of the roof, seeing that he had nothing left to live or hope for. 

    Suboshi sat on a bench in the afterworld. As Chuei and Yuiren passed by him, they waved cheerfully at him, and he waved back, lacking the spirit that they had.     It had been a week since his last visit to the land of the living, and he still had yet to see his Yui-sama.     "Suboshi?"     The boy didn't move. The voice that he heard was Soi. He heaved a sigh and said nothing.     Behind him, Soi put her hands on her hips. "Suboshi. Turn around. Look at me."     Suboshi dropped his shoulders and he turned to face the woman. Instead, his gaze stopped at the blonde figure beside her.     "Yui-sama?" he got up slowly, and walked towards her. As he reached her, she moved forward and hugged him tightly.     Surprised, he froze momentarily, but then wrapped his arms around her back. He then rested he head in her shoulder.     "Yui-sama…" he breathed. "I'm so sorry."     As he began that second statement, Yui said, "Suboshi, "Suboshi. I'm sorry! I missed you so much!"     Suboshi thought that he was dreaming. He never imagined that he'd hear Yui say anything like that to him.     He pulled away from her, for a moment. He looked at her seriously. "Yui-sama. Thank you. You… your last wish… Aniki would be so happy." He paused. "How did you know?"     The young girl, to which he spoke, stayed silent. She tried to recall what had gone through her head. She found nothing, but then she remembered.     "I didn't," she said. "I would have gone along with Nakago, but as I saw your face, it just came to me."     "That was all aniki wanted…" Suboshi looked down mentioning his brother. He looked back up into her eyes. "Ai shiteru."     With just as much emotion, Yui returned the words that she'd longed to say to him for so long. "Ai shiteru." 

~End 

**End notes:** Well, anyone like? I sure did! ::repeats: "I love EVERYTHING I write! Everything!! Yes I do! I love my writing! I love my muuuuuse!!!":: If you couldn't tell, Yui had Leukemia. That's why that doctor hadn't seen it before. Ahm... so how 'bout some reviews? Constructive criticism? Hmm? Please? 


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